Q. If I lose my income, what support options are available from Kiwibank?"

A. We know some of you are facing significant financial stress as a result of the impacts of COVID-19. We’ve launched a range of initiatives as part of our Kiwibank COVID-19 Relief and Resilience programme to try and support you through these difficult times.

The exact support we can offer you will depend on your personal circumstances. Here are the options we may be able to help you with. Each one comes with pros and cons, which you’ll need to weigh carefully before making a decision. You may also want to consider if there are alternatives available to you such as utilising any savings you may have. We're unable to provide advice on the use of savings if they're not with Kiwibank or on KiwiSaver Hardship applications.

Modal to play video

A. Your bank number is the first six numbers of your account number. You can find this on internet banking by viewing your accounts, and it'll also be on all your online banking statements and any physical statements you have on hand.

A. Unfortunately you can't, once a payment has been processed to pending it'll go through. However, you can always request a refund after it’s processed, if the goods are returned or the service wasn't provided.

A. You can do this quickly through internet banking or on our mobile app. Simply look under ‘Settings’ and you’ll find step-by-step instructions.

Take a look here for more detail about how to do this using internet banking or our mobile app. If you don’t have internet banking or the mobile app, or just need some help, please call us on 0800 113 355.

Internet banking and mobile app Q&As

See the commonly asked questions about internet banking and our mobile app.

Q. I've submitted a support request via your website but haven't heard back. What should I do?"

A. As you can imagine, unfortunately a lot of Kiwis have been in contact regarding financial support. Please don't call us to apply for support as we'll need to ask you to complete the forms first.

Q. I require your fingerprint services for a Visa application. When will these be up and running again? Will this resume during the COVID-19 pandemic?"

A. We'll be making a decision around when to resume the service in the coming weeks and we'll update our fingerprinting services page accordingly. If these services are urgent, please contact either your consulate or New Zealand immigration for further information.

Q. What form are your electronic fingerprinting services provided in?"

A. We're able to provide both digital and manual prints, however digital prints can only be done for countries that accept the FBI or New Zealand Police Template.

Q. Will Kiwibank be getting Apple Pay?"

A. At this stage, we have no current plans to implement Google or Apple Pay in the future.

A. The COVID-19 pandemic has hit the economy hard, so the Reserve Bank of New Zealand cut the Official Cash Rate (OCR) to help stimulate economic activity. Banks have decreased their interest rates as a result.

A. This is something we're working towards providing in the future, but unfortunately our systems don’t currently allow it.

Q. Will mine or my partners Credit Score be impacted by taking up any options under the Kiwibank COVID-19 Relief and Resilience programme?"

A. No, they won't. Kiwibank is partaking in an industry agreement, working with the Credit Bureaus to ensure that any Customers genuinely impacted by COVID-19 don't have their credit score impacted.

Q. Will Kiwibank be sending out withholding tax certificates for the year ending 31 March 2020?"

A. If you’ve earned more than $50 interest in the last tax year, you should've received a tax certificate in the post. It would've been sent to the address we hold on file for you as at the end of March 2020. The expected mailing date was 29 April 2020.

If you haven’t received your tax certificate by the end of April, please contact us by calling 0800 113 355 or +64 4 473 1133 from overseas.

Q. What's Kiwibank's current position on accepting loan documents from a solicitor that have been signed remotely/electronically during the COVID-19 pandemic?"

A. We’re taking a case-by-case approach to this, and we recommend that customers or their solicitors contact us directly to work through this. We may accept digital signatures on the basis that they comply with the requirements set out:

A. You’ll find an ‘unsubscribe’ button at the bottom of all Kiwibank marketing emails, by clicking it you opt out of receiving future marketing emails and letters. However, please note there are some letters and emails that we’re legally required to send.

Q. What is Kiwibank's current position on fossil fuels and investment in them?"

A. We have no exposure to the fossil fuels industry and this isn't going to change. We're currently implementing our Responsible Business Banking policy internally, and will share this soon.

Alert level 2 - branch re-openings & the new normal Q&A session

Kiwibank's Simon Hofmann (Chief Marketing Officer) & Geoff Waller (General Manager - Retail) answer the questions customers are asking us about branches re-opening and how we play it safe in alert level 2.

Modal to play video

Q. Are your contact centres open during the COVID-19 pandemic?"

A. Our contact centres are still open during this time, however operations are under heavy demand and our amazing staff are doing their best at this stressful time, so please be patient when speaking with us. Where possible, we recommend using internet banking and our mobile app. If you're new to banking online, we have a range of step-by-step guides and commonly asked questions in our support hub.

A. During this challenging time, our amazing contact centre team are experiencing a lot of calls so where possible we encourage you to bank using other channels. You can find the options available in our support hub, which includes step by step guides to getting set up.

A. Unfortunately, it isn’t possible to get a bank statement at an ATM but there are other ways to get one.

Internet banking is your best option. Once logged in, you can find all your bank statements in your statement vault, which is on the right side of the main screen. Simply click into your statement vault, then choose the statements you’d like to download. If you need a hand with internet banking, please visit our support hub.

A. Unfortunately, our ATMs don't allow you to do this. The best way to deposit cash if you don't have your bank card is by visiting a branch. All our branches have returned to normal trading hours. See the latest updates on our branches.

Q. There are no Kiwibank ATMs in my area, can I use another bank’s ATM? Will I be charged?"

A. Yes, you can. Kiwibank customers can use any other major bank ATM in New Zealand and will not be charged transaction fees when doing so.

Q. What is the maximum cash withdrawal I can make from my card at an ATM?"

A. The most you'll be able to withdraw from an ATM using your EFTPOS card or Visa Debit card is $2,500 per day. For more than this, you’ll need to pop into a branch. All our branches have returned to normal trading hours. See the latest updates on our branches.

Q. I don't have internet banking and usually pay my credit card bill at my local branch using my EFTPOS card. Can I still use this payment method at the branch?"

Another option is paying your credit card bill online by using internet banking. Our step by step support guides can help you set this up.

Q. Who can I speak to if my local Kiwibank ATM isn't working?"

A. If there’s an issue with your local Kiwibank ATM, please give our contact centre a call on 0800 113 355 and let them know. We'll look into the issue and help you with alternative banking options in the meantime. Please bear in mind our contact centre is experiencing high demand, so your patience is appreciated.

Q. What do you have in place for senior citizens waiting in line at branches, if they can't stand for very long?"

A. In the interest of safety, customers who are over 70 shouldn't be visiting branches as they're a higher risk group. We would prefer, and recommend, these customers don't go into a branch. However, there are a number of ways we can offer support through this difficult period:

We can help set up a means of banking remotely (either via phone banking, mobile banking or internet banking). A team of digital experts have helped hundreds of customers by taking them through this process step-by-step. Often, they'll contact the customer multiple times to ensure all of their banking needs have been met. To request someone to help you do this, email digitaleducation@kiwibank.co.nz with the customer name, phone number and preferred contact time.

Call our contact centre team on 0800 113 355, who are able to help with banking needs over the phone.

Adding a trusted person to accounts as an operating authority allows them to help you with your banking needs.

Safety and security

A. Our fraud team continues to work hard to protect customers from fraudulent activity. If you think your identity or accounts have been compromised, please contact us immediately at service@kiwibank.co.nz. If needed, our disputes team can help you attempt to get back any lost funds.

A. All withdrawals need to be authorised before any money can be taken from an account. If you think money has been withdrawn and wasn't properly authorised, please give us a call on 0800 113 355 or +64 4 473 1133 from overseas.

A. You should never provide your internet banking username, password, KeepSafe answers or one time codes to anyone outside of Kiwibank's own systems. This is a security risk, outside our terms and conditions, and puts at significant risk any reimbursement from losses you might suffer. If you've used these services before, we'd recommend changing your password and answers to KeepSafe. We'd also recommend that you consider using other products like Visa as you'll be protected against unauthorised use of your card or account details with Visa's Zero Liability policy.

Q. I gave my name and account number to someone to send me money - is this risky?"

A. Asking customers to enter their PIN when completing transactions overseas is an important global requirement that improves the security of card payments. We value the security of our customers extremely highly, so have no plans to turn this off.

Q. How can I confirm my new phone number so that I can use two factor authentication online?"

A. Please call us on 0800 11 33 55 or +64 4 473 1133 from overseas with your access number and the ID you used when opening your account (this is usually your driver’s licence or passport). Once we've verified your identity, we’ll be able to update your mobile number.

Q. Is my money in my accounts safe right now and is it covered by the Government Guarantee?"

A. Kiwibank currently has a credit rating of A as measured by Standard & Poor's, and is ultimately owned by NZ Post, ACC & NZ Super which are all New Zealand Government-owned.

Q. How do I know that the text I received from Kiwibank is really you and not a scam?"

A. A scam or phishing attempt would usually urge you to click on a link in a message which takes you to a bogus website. The text we send doesn't have any links in it, but instead directs you to update your details securely in internet banking or the mobile app.

To keep you safe online, Kiwibank will never ask you to give account login details or passwords by email. We'll also never have a link to a login page for internet banking, or a link asking for your KeepSafe questions and answers.

Payment and processing times

Q. How come I get my benefit paid to me later than usual?"

A. Up until 18 March 2020, your MSD payments would've been arriving in your account at different times, making it a bit difficult to plan ahead. However, since Thursday 19 March 2020, your MSD payments have been processed at 11pm on the day you’re used to receiving them (provided whe have received them from MSD). We know it can be inconvenient not knowing when your MSD payments will show up, so we made this change to ensure you get your money at the same time, every time.

Q. Are payment times as usual if we're getting the COVID-19 wage subsidy?"

A. All payments from MSD are processed into our customer’s accounts by 11pm on the day we receive payment. If you’ve been told it’s being paid urgently, you may find it arrives a bit earlier in the day.

Q. Can I expect my wages to be in my account on time during the COVID-19 pandemic?"

A. We're not experiencing any payment delays, so you should be receiving your pay as usual.

Have a question that hasn't been answered?

If you ask us a question, we’ll jump on it as quickly as possible. Please don't post any personal or sensitive information as we'll share our response on this page so yourself and others can get the answers you need. Ask us below.

Business banking

Overdrafts

This is intended as general information only. It doesn't take into account your financial situation and goals and isn't personal advice. For advice about your particular circumstances, please see your financial adviser.